Practice, practice, practice
May 23rd 2007 05:29
Listening to David James play Liszt’s Piano Sonata on the radio today, I have several thoughts about the work involved in playing such a piece. When I was younger, I used to play it. Not very well, but up to a reasonable standard. I could get through it without expiring from the effort, and I could play the heavy sections without feeling as though my arms were going to fall off. I used to fudge my way through some of the speedier passages, but that wasn’t unusual for me. Stick the pedal down and nobody will notice the difference, was a theory I think I must have had.
Hearing it again today, I thought how much sheer muscle you have to have to play this piece (and many others like it). It’s orchestral in scale, with huge
climaxes, and the only way to get that huge sound is to hammer the piano – a sort of sound battle between two forces.
Not only do you need plenty of oomph, but you also need to be able to play some running passages not lightly, but with considerable weight. This is a difficult technique in itself.
There’s some quote from a famous musician about not practicing. I think it goes like this: If I don't practice one day, I know it. If I don't practice two days, my critics know it. If I don't practice three days, everyone knows it.. (There are also versions of it around the other way completely, and it’s variously attributed to Heifitz, Godowsky, and Rubenstein.).
A couple of years ago I began to practice the Liszt again, but what I most noticed was how lacking in muscle I was. It’s not that I hadn’t played the piano for a while; I just hadn’t played anything as solid as that piece. I still had to fudge the fast bits – though I fudged them better than when I was a youth – but my fingers no longer enjoyed racing around at speed.
It’s scary that you can lose what you had as a youngster. Youth is a time when you don’t appreciate what you’ve got. When you’re older, practice is really hard work, and trying to attain strength and speed can seem to be beyond you. It’s not, but if I don’t play, let alone practice, each day, I certainly notice. It can be built up again, but each gap in terms of hard work practice means a longer trip back to where you were.
Hearing it again today, I thought how much sheer muscle you have to have to play this piece (and many others like it). It’s orchestral in scale, with huge
Not only do you need plenty of oomph, but you also need to be able to play some running passages not lightly, but with considerable weight. This is a difficult technique in itself.
There’s some quote from a famous musician about not practicing. I think it goes like this: If I don't practice one day, I know it. If I don't practice two days, my critics know it. If I don't practice three days, everyone knows it.. (There are also versions of it around the other way completely, and it’s variously attributed to Heifitz, Godowsky, and Rubenstein.).
A couple of years ago I began to practice the Liszt again, but what I most noticed was how lacking in muscle I was. It’s not that I hadn’t played the piano for a while; I just hadn’t played anything as solid as that piece. I still had to fudge the fast bits – though I fudged them better than when I was a youth – but my fingers no longer enjoyed racing around at speed.
It’s scary that you can lose what you had as a youngster. Youth is a time when you don’t appreciate what you’ve got. When you’re older, practice is really hard work, and trying to attain strength and speed can seem to be beyond you. It’s not, but if I don’t play, let alone practice, each day, I certainly notice. It can be built up again, but each gap in terms of hard work practice means a longer trip back to where you were.
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Comment by Peter
Good luck on getting the sonata back to a full and sonorous Liszt level of dramaticism!
Comment by Mike Crowl
Webitz
Work Report
I used to play the clarinet, a long time ago, and I don't think I ever got up to a level where there was a need for lengthy use of the lungs. Nevertheless, I can well believe it would require considerable lung capacity. All musical instruments require strength in some part of the body - even Jewish harps!