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: