Blindness: Classical pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii turns the learning process on its ears

When I hear someone say that they "play by ear", I immediately assume that they dabble in pop and can improvise on some simple jazz chord progressions. I certainly do not think that they are playing classical piano music by ear, and if they are attempting to, it isn't accurate. There is a dichotomy in the world of piano music— classical and everything else. I'm not claiming that this separation is because of any favoritism of classical music on my behalf; it is the learning process of the pianist. Musicians outside of the classical realm rarely rely so heavily on the printed score (if there is one). They are often using progressions and melodies as a framework for improvisation. Learning classical music is very different. When I sit at the piano, I'm doing my best to be as true to the score as I can and meticulously analyze every detail. If the score wasn't in front of me, I couldn't learn all of the complexities of a Beethoven sonata or a Chopin étude. The idea of "playing by ear" in respect to these pieces seems not only impossible but perhaps ridiculous and heretical.

This unlikely task has been championed by pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii. Tsujii is blind since birth. The connection that most pianists have to the score is much different than Tsujii's yet he has a remarkable ability to play some of the most difficult works in the literature with devotion, espressivity, and athleticism. The Japanese pianist won the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009. Since the competition, the mystery behind his unique learning process lingered. He has explained that beyond his professor's help in lessons the bulk of his learning is reliant on recordings from various sources and it seems that these are often, if not most importantly, from volunteer pianists. In a recent interview that appeared in the Fresno Bee, Tsujii briefly explained:

"I ask my assistants to record the music to cassette tape by hand. One tape with right hand, and another with left hand. When they record it, they split the music into small sections such as several bars, and also record with verbal comments about markings and instructions by the composer.
I ask them to avoid recording with their own interpretation, to give me as precise view of the music as possible.
After memorizing these tapes, I combine both hands and start interpreting the music to make it my own.
Normally it takes one month to learn a large scale sonata or concerto, if I could concentrate on it."

Here is a clip from the aforementioned competition's semifinal round:

Two Rachmaninoff Preludes

I realized I had better continue to share great music with all of you on this blog before letting it completely slide into oblivion. During a lesson this morning, Qing pointed out in her Rachmaninoff Prelude (Op. 23 No. 10 in G-flat) that she could hear the influence of J.S. Bach. I was struck at how insightful this was, mainly because the composers are at two different ends of the spectrum. It became very apparent to me that the writing was very contrapuntal and ingeniously designed. We went on to discuss how prolific of a composer Rachmaninoff is and despite his tour de force approach to the piano, the music is meticulously calculated. Below, I've posted a few video clips of Ashkenazy playing two Preludes from the same opus. I've juxtaposed these to illustrate the breadth of the compositional style of Rachmaninoff even within the same published work. The first is the B-flat Prelude from opus 23 and the second is the Prelude in G-flat from the same opus. The third is a video recording of Kissin playing the B-flat Prelude live.

Aimard plays Ravel's Ondine

I've been working on Ravel's "Gaspard de la Nuit", which contains the movement "Ondine", for some time now and have been enjoying listening to the many interpretations of this great work. Aimard is one of my favorite interpreters of French piano music and I feel grateful to have found this quality video which clearly demonstrates the special technique required to produce a convincing performance of this work.

Ondine is based on a poem by Aloysius Bertrand. The poem is a tale of a water fairy who tries to seduce a man to join her and be her mate in her kingdom in the sea. She does this by singing her beautiful and repetitively hypnotic song which parallels the Sirens of Homer's Odyssey. Ravel musically interprets this poem in such a perfect way. The piano piece has essentially only two elements: the water and the water fairy's song. The genius of this work is in the way Ravel melds the music of 'the water' with the 'fairy's song'. This song is immersed in splashes, ripples, and waves that draw the listener into this mythical world.

Northwest Pianos, My recital clips

Here is a "reader's digest" version of my recital on 9-12-09. The recital was a part of the Northwest Pianos Sauter Concert Series.

Bach on a Clavichord

Here is the Toccata from Bach's 6th Partita in e minor played on a clavichord. The clavichord was a common instrument found in many homes from the 16th century to the 18th century in Germany. We often hear Bach's music played on a harpsichord, since much of his music was written for the instrument. However, hearing his music played on a clavichord is more rare. In contrast with the harpsichord, the player can control dynamics and even a type of vibrato making it capable of playing a more cantabile melody. This would probably lead one to wonder why the clavichord was used less as a performance instrument then and is used much less now. Its small size and soft volume made it a convenient home tool for composition and thus made it impractical for public performance. Above is a picture of a clavichord from Bach's birthplace home in Eisenach.

Chopin Etude Op. 10 No. 2

I really enjoyed this clip of the second etude. Being one of the most challenging of the 24 Etudes (I think I've said that before about other etudes as they are all quite demanding), this focusses on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th fingers of the right hand. The pianist is required to play the chromatic writing with these fingers due to the thumb and forefinger executing the accompanimental writing. This particular pianist demonstrates remarkable precision and flexibility. This is a fine example of the technique needed for this work.

Pogorelich owns two Chopin Etudes

I've posted a few examples of Chopin Etudes in the past, but I keep finding new clips of really great and unique performances of them. The first etude in the clip is one of my favorites, Op. 10 #8. This study was composed to develop fluidity in the right hand while passing the thumb under the 4th finger and vice versa in an arpeggio-like sequence. This all happens over a challenging but playful melody in the left hand. Lastly, he performs the etude in thirds; probably the most difficult of all his etudes. He makes it look quite effortless.

It may be just a rumor but I hear if you grow your hair out in a crazy plume it just might give you piano super powers.