Bach, Bach, Bach
"In the study of the subject of accentuation and phrasing it would not be possible for anyone to recommend anything more instructive than the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. The immortal Thüringian composer was the master-weaver of all. His tapestries have never been equalled in refinement, color, breadth and general beauty. Why is Bach so valuable for the student? This is an easy question to answer. It is because his works are so constructed that they compel one to study these details. Even if the student has only mastered the intricacies of the Two Voice Inventions, it is safe to say that he has become a better player. More than this, Bach forces the student to think.
"If the student has never thought before during his practice periods, he will soon find that it is quite impossible for him to encompass the difficulties of Bach without the closest mental application. In fact, he may also discover that it is possible for him to work out some of his musical problems while away from the keyboard. Many of the most perplexing musical questions and difficulties that have ever confronted me have been solved mentally while I have been walking upon the street or lying in bed at night.
"Sometimes the solution of difficult details comes in the twinkling of an eye. I remember that when I was a very young man I was engaged to play a concerto with a large symphony orchestra. One part of the concerto had always troubled me, and I was somewhat apprehensive about it. During one of the pauses, while the orchestra was playing, the correct interpretation came to me like a flash. I waited until the orchestra was playing very loud and made an opportunity to run over the difficult passage. Of course, my playing could not be heard under the tutti of the orchestra, and when the time came for the proper delivery of the passage it was vastly better than it would have been otherwise.
"I never neglect an opportunity to improve, no matter how perfect a previous interpretation may have seemed to me. In fact, I often go directly home from the concert and practice for hours upon the very pieces that I have been playing, because during the concert certain new ideas have come to me. These ideas are very precious, and to neglect them or to consider them details to be postponed for future development would be ridiculous in the extreme."
Questions on Style, Interpretation, Expression
and Technic of Piano Playing
SERIES V
ferruccio benvenuto busoni
| 1. | What is it which distinguishes the performance of the great pianist from that of the novice? |
| 2. | Upon what detail of interpretation does musical performance most depend? |
| 3. | Should the student continually estimate his own ability? |
| 4. | Which difficulty should you practice most? |
| 5. | What was the principle which made the Tausig exercises valuable? |
| 6. | Upon what does fine phrasing depend? |
| 7. | Why is it that the compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach are so useful in piano study? |
| 8. | How may complex musical problems be solved mentally? |
| 9. | Is it advisable to isolate difficulties and practice them separately? |
| 10. | How should one seize opportunities to improve? |