Schumann: Of Strange Lands and People
Here we have to imagine a child reading a book such as Robinson Crusoe and dreaming about distant, exotic places. In 1838 ,when this piece was written, Europe was still colonising the world and travelers were writing about strange and exotic people and customs. You will find on you tube performances of the Kinderscenen by the greatest pianists in the world. But in my opinion the best, most ideal performance is by Clara Haskill. Please listen to it. There are also dozens of edited versions of this piece, but you will be surprised by what you discover if you get the Urtext. I advise you to study the Kinderscenen only form an Urtext - Henle, Wiener Urtext etc. This is the only piece for which Schumann has written metronomic speeds, and they are astonishingly fast. Not one great artist plays this piece at the speed that Schumann has indicated - 108 to the quarter note. I myself like playing it at 80. Enjoy the delicate, bell-like quality of the melody notes and make sure that y...
It is very important to have at least half a dozen pieces memorized and ready for performance at all times. You cannot carry your music books around with you all the time. And while the initial task of memorizing is important, it is equally important to KEEP the pieces memorized by playing them at least once a week :) The rewards at great!
ReplyDeleteWhile scales and arpeggios are the royal road to acquiring and maintaining piano technique , it is important to play at least a couple of pieces by Bach daily . It gives you masterly control over your fingers and independence of the hands as you bring out the voices and play with a beautiful legato, with your fingers only, touching the pedal only now and then.
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