Is this a good Piano Teacher?

[nicko124]

The teacher that i have is an absolute perfectionist, if i get the littlest thing wrong (different to how it is written) he telles me to change it.

I know that this seems ideal at the moment but dosen't 'adding your own interpretation' to a piece make a performance speciel and personal. In the lessons i have to play the score exactly as written which seems to restrict any interpretation and i need to know if i am out of line thinking this.

I do feel that he is an awesome teacher in terms of he changes my playing to make the rythm and sound exactly as it is on the score.

Where is Interpretation though? Can it ever exist if you have to play exactly as written??

[tds]

Where is Interpretation though? Can it ever exist if you have to play exactly as written??

there is plenty of room to play a piece in a personal way, while still remaining faithful to the score. dynamic markings and notation provide some hints as to what the composers roughly want. why roughly? because dynamic/articulation markings, and notation are quite primitively written. compared to modern science, these markings are extremely loose and vague. so yes, we have plenty of room for numerous legitimate interpretations. best, tds

[nicko124]

I'll give you a different example. Chopin - Waltz in C Sharp Minor...states Tempo Guisto which is perfect time yet all the professional recordings i have heard have a rubato time to it not perfect time.

Explain Please.

[kilini]

Talk to him about this, then. Ask him.

Me, I would give anything to have a teacher like that.

[nicko124]

Talk to him about this, then. Ask him.

Me, I would give anything to have a teacher like that.

Yes i think i am just being a bit bitter that my first best efforts do not meet his standard. He is a really good teacher as he pays such a close attention to detail that he can help you create a perfect playing of a piece, literally.

[qwerty quaver]

As a matter of fact, my own chamber music teacher is kinda like that. however, i noticed that when i get all my notes, nuance and especially rhythm correct, i am "free" to do my own interpretation as long as it is appropriate to the period (ie: i am currently playing the spring sonata by beethoven and having got most of the piece up to my teacher's standard, he often limits to strict classical interpretation. by the way he's a violonist  but he's really professional.
hope this has helped you.

[nicko124]

As a matter of fact, my own chamber music teacher is kinda like that. however, i noticed that when i get all my notes, nuance and especially rhythm correct, i am "free" to do my own interpretation as long as it is appropriate to the period (ie: i am currently playing the spring sonata by beethoven and having got most of the piece up to my teacher's standard, he often limits to strict classical interpretation. by the way he's a violonist  but he's really professional.
hope this has helped you.

Yes actually he does invite me to make my own interpretation once the piece is absolutely perfected. I think i am lucky to have him as a teacher as he can spot absolutely any mistake and he can generate excersises quickly to tackle dificult passages.

[tds]

I'll give you a different example. Chopin - Waltz in C Sharp Minor...states Tempo Guisto which is perfect time yet all the professional recordings i have heard have a rubato time to it not perfect time.

Explain Please.

those who are experts of chopin know considerably well how to play his compositions in the style they are written. would a waltz marked with tempo guisto on it be interpreted differently with a tempo guisto polonaise? i would guess so. at least i would expect subtle rhythmic difference in how a pianist approaches the two pieces.

some thoughts:

1. does tempo guisto in waltz mean that one has to play the piece at swiss clock precision? i very much doubt it
2. could it mean "perfect tempo of a waltz ", or "perfect waltz tempo?",
3. or is it possible that chopin was hitting on a relatively stricter time, due to the then fashion of certain type of rubato, by which chopin didn't want it in this particular piece?, which therefore can be translated into something like: "ok, guys, now play this waltz in stricter waltz rhythm, will you?"

i can see myself buying no. 2 or 3.  i doubt he wrote tempo guisto at the beginning of the piece, while talking loudly to his students "ok, guys, here is a metronome. play it just like it!!".

some thoughts. tds