From what age does the technical ability of an average pianist start declining?

[musicioso]

This question came to my mind as i am practicing right now..

From what age does the technical ability of an average pianist start declining? I am 27 now, so how many years do i have to improve? Till 40? 50? 60?

[thalbergmad]

If you look after yourself, there is no reason why your technique should decline noticeably. It is not as if pianists are javelin throwers, fast bowlers or boxers.

Even if you do lose a bit of speed or accuracy in the next 40 years, you will have years of experience that makes up for it.

Playing the piano is perhaps the only profession that it is possible to peak in your 80's.

If you are only 27, this is not something that you should even be thinking about.

Thal

[louispodesta]

Earl Wild recorded all five of the Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos in one week, when he was 56, and was on the faculty at Eastman.   He later recorded the Hammerklavier when he was 76.  And, he played a 2 1/2 hour birthday recital at Carnegie Hall when he was 90.

However, most pianists do not make it past the age of 40 in terms of concert level playing.   The reason is that they develop a lot repertoire specific technique when they are in school, which does not translate all that well when you are out in the real world.

My suggestion (and I don't get paid for this!) is to get a copy of my coach's book "What Every Pianist Needs To Know About The Body," by Thomas Mark.  You can get it for free from the library, if you don't want to pay for it.

It is a Taubman/Alexander Technique whole body approach to playing the piano.  If you are doing it wrong now, it certainly will not get any better as you get older.

I am 61 and am currently memorizing the Rach #2, polishing up the Schumann A Minor, and also the Mozart A Major.

Finally, for your istening pleasure a You Tube live performance of Mieczyslaw Horszowski at Carnegie Hall which was recorded when he was in his 90's.  His last performance was in Tokyo when he was 98.

You will notice that there is absolutely no wasted effort.

[birba]

Brendel has stopped concertizing, i believe.  He stopped playing the hammerklavier, the wanderer, the liszt sonata, and other pieces when he was in his sixties because he said he just couldn't get around them anymore.  I liked that clip of horszowski.  He reminded me of the concerts i attended of rubenstein, arrau, kempff in their really late years.  There's a facility and nonchalance (in the positive sense) that only comes with age.  A kind of "i know i'm great and i don't have to prove it".  A true inspirational creation without the technical mechanics.  Not that they still didn't have the technique, but it was only the means to their interpretations and never an end to impress.  Sure, wrong notes every once in a while, but they only seemed to enhance their performance!

[ted]

At sixty-five I am waiting for deterioration but sense only improvement. I cannot measure it through classical pieces as I don't play many, but most of my movements are much better than in my twenties. I used to waste a lot of energy by not using my brain, not working from the mind.

Improvisation, at least my sort, is heavily dependent on physical technique so my assessment is probably accurate.

[iansinclair]

I'm within a few days of 71... and I would have to say that my technique is, if anything, better than it was 50 years ago.  A trace of arthritis in one finger, but it doesn't bother me playing.  My interpretations are certainly no worse, either.

On the other hand, memory... sigh.

[thalbergmad]

Our more "mature" members are giving us comforting first hand experience.

I am a baby at 47 and I have experienced no decline. Apart perhaps from back ache setting in earlier than it used to.

Thal

[g_s_223]

Brendel has stopped concertizing, i believe.  He stopped playing the hammerklavier, the wanderer, the liszt sonata, and other pieces when he was in his sixties because he said he just couldn't get around them anymore.
...

Hmmm, well, my understanding is that he felt his ability to play from memory was starting to weaken with the risk of slips creeping in: and, presumably, he did not wish to play from the sheet music as this now is not really considered acceptable in professional solo concert performance. Richter did play from the score in later years, possibly for the same reason, and was still raved about.

Another future risk is arthritis, whose cause is not well understood, but may be aggravated by improper technique.

[birba]

Maybe he said that in an interview.  In his book he says nothing about failing memory.

[thalbergmad]

Perhaps he forgot to include it.

Thal

[louispodesta]

As far as memory goes, if you know your music, an occasional memory slip is no big deal.  What stops most pianists in their tracks is that they have this fanstasy that their hands and ten fingers are separated apart from the rest of their body.

If you don't do daily "cardiac" exercise, then sooner or later your performances will suffer, and that includes your memory.  As an example, I list the following link for your listening pleasure of a 98 year old Mieczyslaw Horszowski playing the Mozart F Major Sonata:  I have played this piece for 40 years, and his performance makes me look like a rank amateur.

Enjoy.

[lelle]

Perhaps he forgot to include it.

Thal

I laughed...

[lateromantic]

At age 64, I've been coming back to the piano over a period of not quite a year.  I experience a bit of arthritis and some soreness in my right wrist, but may not be the result of age so much as some pretty long practice hours (up to 4 hours/day on weekends)  To deal with it, I try to break my practice up into two or three sessions per day, and I'm also working on economizing force and energy (e. g., don't continue to push hard on a loud chord past the split second it takes to sound it!).  I think my technique is approaching what it was 20 years ago, although back then I had been working at it continuously for a number of years.  

It seems to take longer for me to memorize nowadays.  I'm remedying that by doing some systematic mental practice between practice sessions, and I can do that pretty well, tapping out the right fingering, feeling imaginary pedals with my toes, and imagining the sound (perfect pitch helps).

EDIT:  Forgot to mention:  Since someone brought up cardiac exercise, I keep myself in shape physically through running and triathlons.

[louispodesta]

I have psoriatic arthritis so I have to be extra careful not to initiate a flare-up.

My first advice to you is to use as much natural arm weight when you play with no pressing.  Also, you should not practice for more than an hour and half at a stretch.

Finally, believe it or not,  Wal-Mart's former Senior VP has a pharmacy degree, so they carry excellent quality supplements.

I take four grams of their Glucosamine Sulfate (not the Chondroitin!) daily, and I am pain free.  This is the 2000mg size.  Good luck to you and great to have you back.

[starlady]

Brendel has stopped concertizing, i believe. 

A friend of mine saw Brendel lecture in Boston last year and says that he has some kind of tremor, maybe Parkinson's disease (ugh).  That is not a diagnosis--my friend is a truthful person but not a doctor--but may have been a factor in his decision to stop concertizing. 

--s.

[lateromantic]

I have psoriatic arthritis so I have to be extra careful not to initiate a flare-up.

My first advice to you is to use as much natural arm weight when you play with no pressing.  Also, you should not practice for more than an hour and half at a stretch.

Finally, believe it or not,  Wal-Mart's former Senior VP has a pharmacy degree, so they carry excellent quality supplements.

I take four grams of their Glucosamine Sulfate (not the Chondroitin!) daily, and I am pain free.  This is the 2000mg size.  Good luck to you and great to have you back.

Thanks for the information.  I was talking glucosamine/chondroitin for a while but not recently; I probably need to return to the glucosamine at least.  Is there some reason to avoid the chondroitin?

[louispodesta]

Yes, there is.

A few years back, the NIH tried to do a study on Glucosamine Chondroitin, and they had to cancel the project.  The reason was that they could not find any pure samples to test.  Not one of those that they selected matched up to their labels.

Another reason to avoid the Chondroitin is that a lot of it is made from shark cartilage, which comes out of China.  Have you ever heard of mad cow disease?

My rhuematologist strongly recommends against this stuff.  Plus, the sulfate is what mitigates the pain.

And, only in this instance, do I recommend that people who need this supplement take what I term to be a "dog dosage."  Veterinarians widely prescribe Glucosamine Sulfate for older animals.

The reason most people do not see any tangible results is that either take the Chondroitin combination, or they take the G/S and they don't take enough.  When I say take four grams, I mean to take four grams.

That is why they manufacture it in one gram capsules.  Good luck to you.

[lonelagranger]

At age 66 I can play just as bad as I did at 26.  He! He!  Actually, I play Listz, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Debussy etc.  Nothing terribly difficult but some demanding pieces.  I have one finger on the left hand that has a swollen knuckle and is arthritic.  I started playing on a daily basis about 2 years ago and the playing has actually helped me with the arthritis.  Also, in my opinion, I found that taking 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 8 oz. of water three times a day helps with the arthritis.  I used to take Celebrex but the side effects really scared me.  I am not saying everyone should take apple cider vinegar.  I am just saying it seems to help me.  I think you can play as long as you want to play.  Your only as old as you feel.  Some days are better than others. 

PS:  I use the organic apple cider vinegar not the kind you would get at your local grocery store.

[kriatina]

A friend of mine saw Brendel lecture in Boston last year and says that he has some kind of tremor, maybe Parkinson's disease (ugh).  That is not a diagnosis--my friend is a truthful person but not a doctor--but may have been a factor in his decision to stop concertizing.  

--s.

I was very lucky to get on the waiting list for a ticket to Alfred Brendel's masterclass
at the Royal College of Music last year on the 14th November.

I was very lucky to have been there because it gave me a chance
to listen to him playing once again (no trembling at all.)
He explained everything wonderfully to the students and listeners alike
and his lecture - like his playing - comes very much from the heart.

He is the first pianist I ever heard as a youngster in a Concert Hall many years ago
and I remember sitting in the first row, the Hall was full of people,
and he played very beautifully Mozart.
You could have heard a pin drop in his little pauses;
everyone was totally quiet and listened to him and it was so impressive
how he is able to express emotions on the piano and keep the listeners captured...

When I heard him playing again last year in November, it was exactly the same
and there was no change from his performance from all these years ago.

He made me understand Mozart and I am very grateful.

Kristina.

[louispodesta]

The original purpose of this discourse was not to sing the praises of Alfred Brendel.  It was, as I understood it, to pick the brains of us older guys (and ladies) who have had to live through middle age, old age, and its associated medical maladies.

Let us give some respect to the initial post.

Thank you.

[j_menz]

Another reason to avoid the Chondroitin is that a lot of it is made from shark cartilage, which comes out of China.  Have you ever heard of mad cow disease?

That's either in the running for non sequiter of the year or you have some explaining to do.  Mad cow disease from shark cartilage? 

The original purpose of this discourse

Is rarely where any discourse finishes. Go with the flow.

[thalbergmad]

I have been taking shark cartilage for yonks and am reasonably sane.

Thal

[kriatina]

The original purpose of this discourse was not to sing the praises of Alfred Brendel.  It was, as I understood it, to pick the brains of us older guys (and ladies) who have had to live through middle age, old age, and its associated medical maladies.

Let us give some respect to the initial post.

Thank you.

I did not mean to sing especially the praises of Alfred Brendel,
I only tried to point out that his playing/performance has not changed over the years...
... and I feel that gives lots of hope to many adult-beginners  
who start learning how to play the piano very late in their life...

Kristina.

[louispodesta]

I stand corrected on the shark cartilage reference.  Additional research has shown this inference to be false.

However, the mad cow disease reference to Chondroitin is correct in that this cartilage is produced in Europe where the possibility of contamination is far greater.

The following link pretty much beats the subject to death, but is important for anyone thinking of taking this supplement.

https://arthritis.about.com/cs/glucosamine/a/madcow.htm.

[indianajo]

I'm 62 and my technical ability has been increasing as I have more time to practice retired than I did as a teenager.  I'm playing much harder pieces.  My teacher took away Beethoven Pathetique 1 after a couple of weeks when I was 16.  I've got Moonlight 3rd movement up to a certain speed, am 19 pages into Picture at an Exhibition with about 1 mistake per page, with the others being learned, and can do Joplin's Maple Leaf, Magnetic, and Paragon Rags note perfect by memory as warmups.   Differences- my right hand was squeezed by a couple of lead people at church shaking hands, age 59 and too much practice can cause tendonitis in that area. My ability to find the keys of the piano over 7 octaves by feel is not as good. I have to look some when I get away from the middle.  Since they run a senior pro golf league on television,  I feel there is something normal about the feel of the muscles being different on different days.   
I do work out,I have ridden the exercycle 30 min a day at 90-120 bpm since retirement.  I found that waving the feet around too much playing the organ (Passacaglia & Fugue in C min, Washington Post March) makes my back muscles hurt in a way that piano never did.  So 5 months ago I started lifting a 5 lb weight in 4 different Pilates arm exercises, pushing up against a stack chair (now 25 reps), sitting up 1/2 way (25 reps) squats (7 reps because of knee damage in the Army) and toe touches (25 reps). Real pushups from the floor are out, I had arthritis in my right wrist pushing lawnmowers age 11, and pushing up with the wrist at right angles brings it back.  The kinetic exercise sas helped a bit on the organ and I intend to keep it up. They say you lose 20% of your muscle mass a year over age 50, and I intend to get some of mine back.  I have lost 40 lbs since retirement.  The only age barrier is your joints and tendons mind and nerves, you can bring your muscle strength back at any age.   I do take ibuprofen or naproxen occasionally when tendons or joints act up.  However, I've changed my eating habits to include more cruciform vegetables, beans (sugar free peanut butter), and unsaturated oils, partly in response to the Mediterranean diet results long known, and recently confirmed by a program explained by Dr Furman on a PBS show. 
I'm memorizing as hard as I can go, the men in my family tend to go partially blind from cataracts and diebetes, What you have memorized can't be taken away from you.  I'm also learning to play pop songs by ear, another skill that can't be taken away with blindness. 
So practice while you can and look forward to more of it when you retire.  Pine Top Smith gave it up at 99 when they put him in a box. 

[ted]

Yes, the effects of retirement on music are glaringly obvious. For somebody with a really strong interest, such as music for us, having to be a bit tighter with money is trivial compared to the immense liberation of being able to get up in the morning and commence work at the instrument. Those who have had no interest in life except their work, and sadly there are many such, should probably keep working, as they seem unable to handle retirement.

A big difference for me is that I now approach all physical technique from the musical mind, not in the brute force manner of my youth. It's all a bit of a paradox really. If you strenuously concentrate on speed of octaves, double notes and so on, everything becomes a senseless struggle, but if you work in a moderate way, letting the brain and fingers sort themselves out to musical ends, then one morning you find you can play anything as dextrously as you like without effort.

[lonelagranger]

The posts by Indianajo and Ted above are very inspiring and give us all hope.  i am 66 and there are days that i wonder what I am doing spending all this time at the piano missing the sames notes that I missed the day before.  I can only come to the resounding conclusion that music has been a part of my life since I was little and I am not ready to give it up yet.  I will continue to fight the good fight if only for my own enjoyment.  Some times it is not a matter of musical expression as it is personal perserverance.

I love beatuiful music.  I hope to someday make some.

[louispodesta]

lonelagranger:

Hang in there.  A couple of common suggestions regarding wrong notes are the following:

1)  Re-check your fingering because maybe your hand and finger dimensions need a new fingering.  Claude Debussy never wrote fingerings in his music because every one has different size hands.

2)  An oldy but a goody is that it is the note right before the one you missed which is the one that is not being properly played.  Because, if you are not grounded on the note before, you will miss the next one most of the time.

3)  Always anticipate the next leap or chord movement that requires moving the entire hand.   Rubinstein always got there ahead of time regardless of when the next note was to be played.   If you are always rushing to the next note, you will commonly miss it.

Nevertheless, hang in there.  Hitting right notes is not the rocket science a lot of people make it out to be.  It just takes proper practice, which unfortunately most piano students are not taught how to do.

[gvans]

lonelagranger:

1)  Re-check your fingering because maybe your hand and finger dimensions need a new fingering.  Claude Debussy never wrote fingerings in his music because every one has different size hands.

2)  An oldy but a goody is that it is the note right before the one you missed which is the one that is not being properly played.  Because, if you are not grounded on the note before, you will miss the next one most of the time.

3)  Always anticipate the next leap or chord movement that requires moving the entire hand.   Rubinstein always got there ahead of time regardless of when the next note was to be played.   If you are always rushing to the next note, you will commonly miss it.

I like these! They get back to the arch rule of practicing smart, not just playing a passage over and over again. I once read that the reason you miss a note is that either 1) you don't know where it is (see Rubenstein above) or 2) you're not sure what the note is.  Also, I've read (and agree) that there is no right or wrong fingering, other than the best fingering is the one that sounds the best.

Oh, for the record, I'm 60, which sounds better, I think, in French than English. I'm hoping to play for another 30 years, if my retinae hold out.

[louispodesta]

gvans:

Thanks for the good words.   My technique coach who studied under Dorothy Taubman's former assistant, Edna Golandsky, said that her motto was that you can't miss what you are right (directly) over.

Finally, I am 61, and didn't you know that 60 is the new 40.  Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney are in their mid 70's.

And also, a carrot a day keeps the cataract surgeon away.

Thanks again.

[lonelagranger]

lonelagranger:

Hang in there.  A couple of common suggestions regarding wrong notes are the following:

1)  Re-check your fingering because maybe your hand and finger dimensions need a new fingering.  Claude Debussy never wrote fingerings in his music because every one has different size hands.

2)  An oldy but a goody is that it is the note right before the one you missed which is the one that is not being properly played.  Because, if you are not grounded on the note before, you will miss the next one most of the time.

3)  Always anticipate the next leap or chord movement that requires moving the entire hand.   Rubinstein always got there ahead of time regardless of when the next note was to be played.   If you are always rushing to the next note, you will commonly miss it.

Nevertheless, hang in there.  Hitting right notes is not the rocket science a lot of people make it out to be.  It just takes proper practice, which unfortunately most piano students are not taught how to do.

Thank you for the guidance.  I appreciate your help and the time you took to offer it.  I think I need to slow down when playing.  I think I am using muscle memory instead of mentally thinking before I hit the next note.  It's great to know that there are still such nice people like you in this world willing to give help.  Thanks

[virtuoso80]

I believe that you don't see decline in your playing as long as you are doing it right. If I played now the way I did when I was 20, I would have destroyed my hands. Thank goodness I had a zen master of a teacher in college who taught me the glory of playing with minimal effort. If you have good technique, there's no reason why it can't keep working for you well into your later years.

[birba]

I tend to agree with this.

[awesom_o]

How do we measure the rate of technical deterioration for an aging pianist?
In number of missed notes? By the frequency of memory slips in their live performances?

[ade16]

I agree with most of these comments, but at the end of the day it does boil down to an individual's level of motivation, determination and tenacity, regardless of age. Also, the amount of time available to practise. At 54 I am still some way from retirement but try to fit in as much practice as I can despite the demands and time constraints of my job (teaching music in a secondary school). I anticipate spending infinitely more time practising when I do eventually retire, but I recognise that it would be a mistake to wait till then! I do as much as I can in the evenings, weekends and school holidays. I have been playing since the age of 12, and I am currently revisiting some challenging piano works I have attempted before but never quite completely mastered (eg Waldstein Sonata)
I really do believe in what Paderewski famously said: "If I do not practise for one day I notice; If I do not practise for 2 days the critics notice; if I do not practise for 3 days my audience notices!"
Like everything else in life, physical problems can occur and slow you down/create extra obstacles at any age, and providing the will and determination are there, physically, mentally and emotionally, no one should be put off setting themselves pianistic challenges at any age, including giving recitals or entering competitions. I certainly intend to keep going as long as body, mind and soul remain strong enough and will not be put off by psychological age barriers. Surely the same applies to many things in life? Good luck to you all and keep doing your best to play wonderful music. I agree with someone else who said this, that in your twenties you should not even be thinking about when your powers may eventually fail!
Whether you say you can or whether you say you can't, you are right! A bit of a cliche maybe, but absolutely true actually!

[birba]

I thought it was rubenstein who said that thing  about not practising.  At least that's what i've always been telling everyone...

[lonelagranger]

I thought it was Horowitz.  And it went; if I don't practice for 1 day, I notice.  If I don't practice for 2 days my wife notices.  If I don't practice for 3 days the audience notices.  Anyway, somebody must of said it. 

[lelle]

I've heard it was Rachmaninoff. It sounds very anti-Bernhard (if you remember him?) to have a technique which you have to practise every single day to prevent from declining.

[ade16]

I am pretty certain it was Paderewski, but the main point is what was said by a great pianist, whoever it was.

This quote is characteristic of Paderewski's humour. We should not take it literally that after only three days of not practising, one's technique is going to catastrophically deteriorate! Don't be silly! He was just making a very valid point about the importance of 'regular' practice, and this remark should be interpreted as a bit tongue in cheek. His dry sense of humour is further typified in the following:
In addition to his concert tours, Paderewski was a popular speaker renowned for his wit, and was often quoted. He was once introduced to a polo player with the words: "You are both leaders in your spheres, though the spheres are very different." "Not so very different," Paderewski replied. "You are a dear soul who plays polo, and I am a poor Pole who plays solo."

In another incident, Paderewski once recalled, "I established a certain standard of behaviour, that, during my playing, there must be no talking. When they began to talk, I would stop. I would say, 'I am sorry to interrupt your conversation. I deeply regret that I am obliged to disturb you, so I am going to stop for a while to allow you to continue talking.' You can imagine the effect it had..."

[louispodesta]

There are many You Tube versions of this performance out there, I sincerely suggest you avail yourselves of all of them.   As a pianist, they will teach you a lot about arpeggiation, asynchronization, and tempo modification.

However, per this truncated rendering, this "Old Man" played the hell out of this piece, it was live, and they loved it.  Enough said.

[birba]

In his later years he was known in italy as "paperewski".  Papera means wrong note in italian.  (As well as duck)

[timothy42b]

In another incident, Paderewski once recalled, "I established a certain standard of behaviour, that, during my playing, there must be no talking. When they began to talk, I would stop. I would say, 'I am sorry to interrupt your conversation. I deeply regret that I am obliged to disturb you, so I am going to stop for a while to allow you to continue talking.' You can imagine the effect it had..."

I'm pretty sure these are both Victor Borge.  One of my favorite players, of course.  (maybe next to Tom Lehman.  Hee, hee)

[ade16]

I remember Victor Borge very well. A very good example of longevity, still performing to the age of 91! (The original point of these postings I seem to remember) A great comedian who, like others, occasionally borrowed material from others, including musicians. He may have adapted these gags to his own act but they are certainly attributed originally to Paderweski. A bit of research into a varity of sources will confirm that I believe. The one about "I am a poor Pole who plays solo" would not work anyway in its original form as Borge was Danish. I can imagine though Borge adapting the one about stopping while someone in the audience was talking. But it was definitely Paderewski who originally did this for real in an actual piano recital!

On another point mentioned in another posting about fingering, I absolutely agree that there are always alternative fingerings for a passage, and that what sounds right is best for you; but also above all what feels the most natural and comfortable.

[timothy42b]

I can imagine though Borge adapting the one about stopping while someone in the audience was talking. But it was definitely Paderewski who originally did this for real in an actual piano recital!

 

I've seen Borge do it.  wiki confirms your memory that Paderewski did it too.

You know what's interesting?  and kind of embarassing as well.  I can't tell a single joke in Danish or Polish, can barely order in a restaurant.  Yet both of these apparently spoke multiple foreign languages well. 

Of course, I'm not 90.  I have 30 years to go.  If I learn 2 languages a year, I'll .............oh never mind. 

[pianoplunker]

This question came to my mind as i am practicing right now..

From what age does the technical ability of an average pianist start declining? I am 27 now, so how many years do i have to improve? Till 40? 50? 60?

Now you got me asking me questions. From what age does the technical ability start improving ? I am 51 now, so how many years do I have to improve ? 60 , 70, 80 ?  Hopefully I never improve and just keep practicing and trying, and loving those who listen to me trying.

[timothy42b]

It seems to me that your physical potential does decline. 

But how many of us are playing to our full potential? 

If your 100% has declined to 70% over the past 30 years, while your skill level has improved from 30% to 40%, you're still ahead of the game. 

[ade16]

I agree about trying to fulfil our full potential. For me personally, in my mid fifties, I find that setting aside enough time to practise is difficult with work committments, but I do make the time. Also, trying to maximise the efficiency of practice is crucial as well. For example, not wasting time just playing the same difficult passage over and over, tripping up at same places, physically or mentally or both; rather, drilling down to the problem, identifying it, then working hard to fix it through very focussed and intensive practice. This sometimes involves adjusting the fingerings as well as slow practice, gradually building up to the required speed and then placing back into the whole context of the passage or movement. This approach is nothing new of course, but I am very rigid with it given the limited time I can find to practise properly.

In terms of declining, I think a large part of it is to do with memory as well as physical. I still find I can play the same physically demanding music I did thirty and forty years ago (long may my stamina last, hopefully, I do try to keep fit generally), but it is my memory that I feel is declining a little. I just wonder what we can do to sharpen this up, particularly in longer pieces. For example, I have nearly completed learning Chopin's Fantasie in F minor Op.49, but am finding memorising difficult at this stage, the same themes coming back in two or three different keys with many accidentals and consequent fingering adjustments. I am nowhere near ready to perform this publicly yet. Any thoughts from anyone regarding maintaining or even improving memory in a specifically musical context?
I remember watching an ageing Sydney Harrison performing as part of a Beethoven masterclass, and he had a memory lapse towards the end of the finale of Op.13, forgetting the changes that take you into the coda, instead ending the theme as previously on a perfect cadence. I could really empathise with that, and I was only 17. Sydney was a great teacher and performer, but I can't help but think his memory was sadly beginning to go. He used to teach my teacher who was also taught by Fanny Waterman. I remember discussing this memory lapse with my teacher, and she said, these things happen, largely due to nerves, the equivalent of actors occasionally forgetting their lines. Which opens up another can of worms for discussion, how to control performance nerves! Does the ability to control nerves decline with age too? For example, in later years, Richter was famous for cancelling concerts due to nerves.

[indianajo]

For maintaining memory into rediculous age, try aerobic exercise.  See the bbcnews.com article on 7/13/10 "Running  can slow ageing process".  
I can't run much, too many years running in combat boots for the Army Reserve, but I can ride an exercycle.  And, many piano pieces can be aerobic, also.  
As far as personal experience, my grandmother's memory was fine until her friend stopped walking up the mountain with her 3-4 times a week.  She was 84.     She was afraid to go out that far by herself.  Her memory declined precipitously in a year or two, then her hip broke indoors, which put her in bed in a nursing home. Use it or lose it.  
See also the bbcnews article 1/6/13 about the Island of Irkea, GR where a dozen or so of  people are over 100 years of age.  The pictures show an island where you can't go to the grocery store without a 100' change in elevation.   It just makes me wish I could afford to eat more fish.  
There are many pieces that I might have had trouble memorizing in my teens.  Subtle variations on the same theme are beyond me, I can't keep straight which portion I am playing.  
I suffer from too many mistakes in the presence of people. Not having had a piano teacher listen to me for 46 years didn't help that any.  I'm trying to work up a gig where I play at a church on weekdays with a working 1960's Baldwin grand, but when I went over there Easter week to tune the defective note, they had it all covered in an Easter diorama. They usually have flowers on it, too.   Nursing home pianos are usually a wreck.  Besides, 99.99% of resident of nursing homes don't like classical music; in my area they want George Jones or Ernest Tubb favorites, or piece and quiet so they can hear General Hospital or the Guiding Light clearly.    

[ade16]

Many thanks for that, I'll look into all of this!

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age 100