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Harpsichords and Related Topics

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Harpsichords and Related Topics <[log in to unmask]>
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Sat, 6 Nov 2010 09:21:35 -0500
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Just a two cents since we're "almost" on a topic I've got an opinion about 
:-)

I've always been terrible at memorizing things and it has gotten only worse 
from getting to be a good sight reader. For me the notes go into my eyes, 
from eyes to brain, from brain to fingers and often leave almost no trace in 
memory. The experience ends up similar to someone reading a book and then 
someone asking what was on page 45. I might be able to remember a vague 
subject etc. but haven't a clue of the specific words and details.

In college I hated having to memorize music and it normally resulted in my 
grades going down a step, especially for juries and performances. The worst 
was playing a Mozart rondo on my senior recital where I  got from A to B 
back to A then C then A then C then A then C then A then C and then couldn't 
escape the loop! You get the point...

I was overjoyed when I learned most harpsichordists use music and have ever 
since!

Grant

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tilman Skowroneck" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, November 06, 2010 6:06 AM
Subject: Re: Elaine Comparone


Tusen tack, Andreas, for adding practice and disposition to this discussion.

Both muscle memory and musical memory can, in my experience, work both ways: 
I remember once having to play some modern piece (not my specialty) and 
while practicing, the music somehow put itself really securely into my 
muscle memory, to be reproduced quite accurately as I wanted it to be 
reproduced. Conversely, I have (as probably everyone) a few pieces from my 
early days, that have implanted themselves so jerkily in my muscle memory 
that every time I want to perform them I have to sit down with the score and 
re-practice them in order to get rid of my old habits.
Musical memory can work in exactly these two fashions as well; sloppy or 
precise. [Which derails me to mention Arthur Rubinstein, who claimed that he 
memorized the visual image of the score (and thus mentally sight-read while 
playing). Being a good (musical) memorizer I have no idea how that would 
work...]

Playing from memory is, in my view, a matter of natural disposition. Some 
people take much more easily to it than others. During my very early 
attempts, it was virtually impossible for me _not_ to play from memory no 
matter what people said (and believe me, they did say...). So for me, I 
admit, the mid-80s harpsichord guru's nonchalance about playing by heart was 
decidedly unhelpful; I should have been given methods to develop my skills 
instead of being shrugged at. Imagine my astonishment when I recently read 
through the examination requirements at the Mozarteum in Salzburg: 
apparently, harpsichord students there are required to perform their 
recitals from memory.

It is good to realize in this discussion that the benefits of memorizing 
have been treated in contradictory ways throughout the history of piano 
playing and -pedagogy. Modern knee-jerk value judgments are most of the time 
influenced by what we've heard from others, and don't really reflect which 
of the two - playing from the music, or playing from memory - is actually 
"better" ("better" for whom, too. For the performer or for the audiences?). 
People like Liszt either improvised or, as frequently reported, played their 
stuff from the music, instead of looking at those "stupid keys". It may well 
be (that's my theory) that the modern pianist's nemesis - the requirement to 
play everything from memory - has its origins in the wish to look like one 
is improvising even if one played actual pieces.

Tilman

On Sat, 6 Nov 2010 03:26:18 -0500, Andreas Edlund <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>There is certainly no right and wrong when it comes to playing by heart, I 
>don't question that.
>
>In response to Heinrich C. Kuhn, I would like to add that I believe that 
>how the performance will be depends on HOW it was memorized - percentage of 
>"muscle memory" vs "brain cell storage". I generally feel freer to 
>communicate with the situation and the composition without music on the 
>stand, but in cases when I want to extemporize and improvise more, keeping 
>the page in front of me makes me more daring in my excursions. Kind of 
>easier to get back on track.
>
>Btw, I am one of those who prefer not to use music stand from acoustical 
>reasons. I'd rather put the music flat on top of the jackrail.
>
>Andreas.

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