Personal Intepretation

[natnn_]

Based on the feedback I received on my Minute Waltz post, I realized that many people recommended incorporating more rubato and emotional expression. This got me thinking about how much personal interpretation and changes is acceptable in classical music. For Example: How much rubato is acceptable like Cortot and would I be hated by audience adding loud lower bass notes than written (see Horowitz and Josef Hofmann intepretations of Chopin’s Ballade No. 1, see https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VHpN3nf-fSY). My teacher, however, is quite strict about maintaining a tempo and only allows very few rubato, even in pieces where I’ve already play the tempo accurately.

[jonslaughter]

Based on the feedback I received on my Minute Waltz post, I realized that many people recommended incorporating more rubato and emotional expression. This got me thinking about how much personal interpretation and changes is acceptable in classical music. For Example: How much rubato is acceptable like Cortot and would I be hated by audience adding loud lower bass notes than written (see Horowitz and Josef Hofmann intepretations of Chopin’s Ballade No. 1, see https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VHpN3nf-fSY). My teacher, however, is quite strict about maintaining a tempo and only allows very few rubato, even in pieces where I’ve already play the tempo accurately.

You should learn to develop your own voice. If you don't experiment how do you know. At the end of the day all that matters is what you like. If attempt to appease everyone you appease no one.

Your teacher, one day, won't be around. What will you do then?

What do you want in life? To constantly be worried about if you are playing something right or simply play it how you want it? You know, if Gould listened to his teacher no one would know who he was. (ok, I have no idea who his teacher was, if he really had one, or any of that, but the point is still true)

Why are you doing music? For other people? You should really figure these issues out so that you can come to terms with what *YOU* want out of it. You deserve just as much of input, if not more, in the equation. If your goal is to appease your teacher then do what your teacher says. If your goal is to appease yourself then do what you what.

What do you think, if you are up late at night playing by yourself and you play something that isn't in the score that your teacher will magically appear and whack you with a ruler?

Music, unlikely how it is portrayed, is not absolute. The score as made it so that people think it is the word of god, it is not. Musicians HAD to write something down. Sometime they even change things themselves and have different versions. Sometimes editors change things and people just accept it as fact.

When you are old, alone, and no one cares about you, what do you think you will want the most? If it is that you felt you played something exactly how someone else/others wanted then you should do that. If it is that you played it how you wanted and felt then you should do that.

Teachers portray what they teach as absolute: "DO IT MY WAY". But this is bad. Music is not about this. Music was never meant to be that. It was about connecting with something deeper. If you play a piece and you are not internally moved and just running through notes then you are missing the point. Usually teachers have one main goal and that is to get $ so they can pay the bills and that typically becomes more and more dominant over their life ruining their ability to actually teach unless they are tenured and then they typically take little interest in teaching. This isn't true across the board. I'm just saying that is a typical thing(it is true in general because when people feel forced to do something they typically come to resent it). The second thing is that they want it done their way because it's easy for them. They don't have to be questioned on their methods or ability.

A teacher is a guide. Like a shaman. They are there to guide you along the path so you can get to the "destination" the fastest(or get further down the road than if you had to go alone). Their word is not that of god. This does not mean there is not any use to what they do. If your teacher is strict and you follow that then how will you ever know anything else? Your teacher being strict is teaching you one way. Is that the only way? Is it mutually exclusive with other ways? How can you know? There is only one way to know something.

[essence]

Main thing is to listen to yourself, and learn how to listen critically. Can you detect unevenness? Unevenness in tempo or articulation or volume? Can you detect if hands or chords are not together? Can you detect the difference between legato ad staccato, and different forms of staccato?

Can you detect the difference between p and pp and ppp ?

For the waltz in question, even the first few bars, the fowing rh notes have rythmic complexities, do you play them all even at the same volume or do you empasise first in bar or something?

lh is tricky. again, how do you treat the staccato crotchet? Are they all even, or a waltz lilt?

To be honest, this waltz needs subtle rubato, anything gross would ruin it. But are you observing the expression marks? The repeat section - are you modifying the tone at all?

Of course, the central section should be different, singing, there can be some rit in the dim section leading to the dolce. How do you handle the dolce?

I haven;t played this piece for years. Must search it out. I seem to remember it falls under the fingers quite well.

The one thing all great pianists had in common was the ability to listen, and it is not a common ability. Lots of people praise some pianist, but only because they are unable to hear how bad they are.

[aaronsf]

Record yourself and listen to what you are doing.  It's an invaluable tool for learning.  It helps to get a listener's perspective.  Even if you don't intend to perform, listening to a recording of what you're doing will reveal much that is hard to hear when you're playing.