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Topic: Practice: One piece from each period?  (Read 1091 times)

Online dizzyfingers

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Practice: One piece from each period?
on: December 20, 2024, 02:28:38 PM
How many of you adopt the practice of working on (at least) one piece from each period?

Baroque - Bach, Scarlatti, Rameau, etc
Classical - Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, etc
Romantic - Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, etc
Late Romantic / Impressionism - Scriabin, Faure, Debussy, Ravel, etc
Early 20th century - Bartok, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Poulenc, Szymanowski, etc
Later 20th century+ - Messiaen, John Adams, Philip Glass, Morton Feldman, Ligeti, Unsuk Chin, etc

That would be 6 pieces.
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Online dizzyfingers

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Re: Practice: One piece from each period?
Reply #1 on: December 20, 2024, 02:29:46 PM
How many of you adopt the practice of working on one piece from each period?

Baroque - Bach, Scarlatti, Rameau, etc
Classical - Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, etc
Romantic - Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, etc
Late Romantic / Impressionism - Scriabin, Faure, Debussy, Ravel, etc
Early 20th century - Bartok, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Poulenc, Szymanowski, etc
Later 20th century+ - Messiaen, John Adams, Philip Glass, Morton Feldman, Ligeti, etc

That would be 6 pieces.

As it turns out, I do have a practice piece from each period, currently, though this is more by accident.  I believe some teachers try to make a point of covering at least the first 3 periods with their students...

Offline thorn

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Re: Practice: One piece from each period?
Reply #2 on: December 20, 2024, 05:50:02 PM
I think this is an old fashioned way of teaching advanced level pianists. Which talking from the UK system is anyone beyond first diploma level (rep list page 2-3 here: https://sites.create-cdn.net/sitefiles/37/2/9/372980/ABRSM_Diploma_Syllabus.pdf)

Before this level it's important to be exposed to a variety of styles and find your strengths/personal taste as well as develop knowledge of standard repertoire. But when I see pianists at the level of playing Romantic etudes to exam/concert/audition standard worrying about fitting every period into their program I can't help question if the piano education system is creating professionals capable of thinking for themselves or technically proficient parrots.

Online dizzyfingers

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Re: Practice: One piece from each period?
Reply #3 on: December 21, 2024, 01:15:39 AM
I think this is an old fashioned way of teaching advanced level pianists. Which talking from the UK system is anyone beyond first diploma level (rep list page 2-3 here: https://sites.create-cdn.net/sitefiles/37/2/9/372980/ABRSM_Diploma_Syllabus.pdf)

Before this level it's important to be exposed to a variety of styles and find your strengths/personal taste as well as develop knowledge of standard repertoire. But when I see pianists at the level of playing Romantic etudes to exam/concert/audition standard worrying about fitting every period into their program I can't help question if the piano education system is creating professionals capable of thinking for themselves or technically proficient parrots.

Not sure this topic applies to really advanced level pianists, the kind preparing for competitions.  Perhaps yes for those applying to entry into conservatories?  I should have framed the question to Piano Teachers - whether they teach this way.

It was inspired by my own experience:
I haven't played Bach in years, picking up a prelude/fugue recently was totally inspired, and it's like - "oh yeah, Bach is wonderful".  I'm sure the same could be said of Mozart or Haydn.  Which I haven't practiced in years, and don't plan to.  But if I did I bet it would be somewhat eye/ear opening.

Offline rachmaninoff_forever

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Re: Practice: One piece from each period?
Reply #4 on: December 21, 2024, 05:15:55 AM
Never have never will
Live large, die large.  Leave a giant coffin.

Offline kaideedee17

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Re: Practice: One piece from each period?
Reply #5 on: December 21, 2024, 06:32:18 AM
Never have never will
I am with you on this one - also 20th-century music will always be ruined by Sorabji for me. I don't understand how some people like him, but if you can enjoy his compositions that makes me want to rip off my ears, mad respect.

Online lelle

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Re: Practice: One piece from each period?
Reply #6 on: December 21, 2024, 01:12:47 PM
I am with you on this one - also 20th-century music will always be ruined by Sorabji for me. I don't understand how some people like him, but if you can enjoy his compositions that makes me want to rip off my ears, mad respect.

You mean you don't touch any music from the 20th century because there is one single composer you don't like?

Online dizzyfingers

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Re: Practice: One piece from each period?
Reply #7 on: December 21, 2024, 02:53:34 PM
You mean you don't touch any music from the 20th century because there is one single composer you don't like?

That was my interpretation.  It may be a statement for effect rather than accuracy. 

Offline klavieronin

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Re: Practice: One piece from each period?
Reply #8 on: December 21, 2024, 11:47:35 PM
I am with you on this one - also 20th-century music will always be ruined by Sorabji for me.

I honestly don't understand the antipathy towards Sorabji. There are so many composers whose music is more dissonant and less accessible than Sorabji's. I get that people don't like his music but why he is so often singled out as being particularly unbearable is baffling to me.

Case in point. Louis Andriessen - Registers for Piano;



Now compare that to;

Offline cuberdrift

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Re: Practice: One piece from each period?
Reply #9 on: December 22, 2024, 03:53:49 AM
Yes, I try to pick something from each period, but for 20th I usually just study a jazz standard or pop song for improvisation. I feel like playing Nancarrow / Babbitt etc. feels like taking pains to learn notes which you could generate by randomly pressing on the keys.

Offline kaideedee17

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Re: Practice: One piece from each period?
Reply #10 on: December 22, 2024, 03:55:12 AM
yeah that was a dumb thing to say mb
I do love a lot of 20th century composers, namely ravel and Stravinsky
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