Clips from a distant masterclass, Carnegie Hall, 2004, when Yuja was 17.
She could hardly have had a better teacher.
‘Hanging onto long notes and moving little notes really gives you the best of both worlds.’
The composer Michael Tippett referred to him as…
Statement by the Berlin Phil: It is with…
The sad death of Sir Andrew Davis brings…
The International Malko Conducting Competition has ended in…
Session expired
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Leon Fleisher was a mensch.
I HATE to be this honest but….
I just watched a portion of it, but I haven’t heard much good about Fleisher, and him telling Yuja to slide on the keys for a beautiful tone, that was enough for me, when I have other more pressing things to do involving music….
One gets a beautiful tone from balanced arms, fingers, and the rest of the body at the piano. What Maria Curcio taught.
One only has to listen to Argerich, and the sound she gets out of the piano, even at the quietest moment, how balanced the voicing is, which she achieves effortlessly, because it’s become natural, and her technique doesn’t get in the way. Sliding around on the keys is sort of ridiculous to me, to get a “beautiful” tone.
Yuja would do herself a favor to learn what Maria Curcio taught, it would add a whole new dimension to her playing, beyond turn it on and off…..
But what about Joshua Bell, Nijinsky?? Surely Joshua Bell comes into this somehow? If not now, then maybe the next time you forget your anti-psychotics, hm? Yes?
the sliding is one way to suggest, that the mental picture of the sound producing physical movement is not about hitting the key/note, but that the motion swings through it and continues. Many teach the same in essence, but all have individual ways to describe it.
This is a common commentary from an amateur. If you would know how to play the piano, you would not post this.
That’s exactly right. TG for this professional comment.
“Haven’t heard much good about Fleisher”? You obviously haven’t heard him play and you obviously can’t play yourself from this comment!
It seems Yuga has decided to take your advice, her career really took off.
Curcio & Fleisher both attended Schnabel’s classes in Lago di Como at the same time.
I absolutely agree with you. I heard a lot about his nonsense. The proof is that he destroyed his own right hand!!
I really enjoyed Leon Fleischer’s “My Nine Lives: A Memoir of Many Careers in Music.” Great read. Alas, a musical post about Ms. Wang and not about her legs or her clothes on this site.
Alas? Didn’t you mean to say “At last”?
Ok. I’m musical so it’s “at last.” “Alas” is for the less musically-inclined.
The good part of me says At Last. The bad part of me says Alas…
I know that I will always be in the minority opinion when it comes to Leon Fleisher. I played for him, watched him teach, heard him conduct, and heard him play solo, chamber and concerto performances. We all have our favorites and if he was the right person for some, then he was the right person for them.
Beautiful playing from both of them. What a pleasure.
Anybody destined to become a great pianist will find the approach to the instrument in its own way, no matter what s/he is taught!!