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On November 7, 2005, I took a massive leap of faith and started a brand-new blog about the art of the piano in ensemble, a field that at the time had almost no presence on the internet. I had no idea that four years later, the Collaborative Piano Blog would have achieved such a large reach in the profession, nor that I would have derived such satisfaction from writing it.
Thanks for four great years, everyone!
Ever wonder about the exact nature of the accompanist stereotype that caused pianists from Gerald Moore onwards to react so violently to the traditional image of the meek and docile assistant at the piano? A quick look at the entry on How To Become An Accompanist in the 1910-12 Everywoman's Encyclopaedia offers a rather disquieting glimpse. The most egregious passages are quoted below - readers on mobile devices may wish to sit down before reading:
To many girls the work of an accompanist appeals in several ways. It does not entail a quarter the strain of solo work; it does not need the big memorising feats expected from a pianist proper; and it gives nervous workers a feeling of security.What a distance the profession has come in 100 years. You can read the entire article here.
An accompanist, once she takes her place at the piano, is working not for herself, but for somebody else; and the whole of her mind and ability has to be concentrated on the person whom she is accompanying. The accompaniment of a song or instrumental number is, after all, a secondary thing; but it needs perfection in its execution or it becomes unbearable. The perfect accompanist - of whom England numbers very few - is an artist who gains little credit from any save those who know. For her art lies in the utter subjection of herself to her principal. The accompaniment that thrusts its presence at an audience is invariably bad.
A good accompanist is soon discovered, especially if she has that wonderful feeling of sympathy and self-obliteration, that is as welcome as water in the desert to singers...for many singers are thankful to practise out of hours with a sympathetic assistant.
In order for the art song to survive in the coming years, the genre needs to find ways to re-imagine itself, to discover new ways of looking at the core repertoire. For one of his song recitals, Chad Smyser asked photographer Tasha Roth to take pictures that would encapsulate the meanings of the 16 songs in the cycle. Chad writes about Tasha's process:
She was able to capture a mood which settled between two worlds: nature and the urban environment. The photos conjured up a mythical place where the Black Forest meets Roosevelt Island. They added an evocative dimension to the performance of the cycle, letting the audience find a visual destination to reference during each of the musical miniatures.Schumann's Dichterliebe: A Cycle in Photographs
Why is it, then, so wonderful? Well, once in a while, we just click into place: there comes a fleeting moment when each of us, playing highly individuated and often wildly complicated parts, actually become an ensemble. We … blend. This is a tremendously intense feeling, and hard to describe. There's a kind of "whoosh" to it – the sensation that you are part of something immensely powerful, something bigger than your own individual capability. The idea that you are part of not only what you yourself are making, but also what the others are creating. Out of our normal human isolation, we make a single, complex voice. This is strangely emotional, and when it happens, I think we all feel it.--Charlotte Higgins, from How chamber music changed my life
The Boston Conservatory is offering a new Master of Music Degree in Collaborative Piano for the 2010-11 academic year. Created by Karl Paulnack (whom many will know from his now-legendary freshman address), the program will start small, accepting only two students for each of the first two years of the program. This program and its curriculum aims to prepare pianists with concrete skills for the professional world, as the Outcome Proficiencies suggest:
Partner a vocalist or instrumentalist in recital, or in advanced study situations, such as a high-profile master class Prepare an operatic score sufficiently to partner a conductor in staging, musical or coaching rehearsal Play a piano rehearsal for a soloist and conductor of a symphony orchestra Command language proficiency sufficient to permit an informed rubato and accurate ensemble, and continue to grow towards fluency or near-fluency in the major art song languages
Collaborative Piano Degree Program at The Boston Conservatory
Complete list of Degree and Diploma Programs in Collaborative Piano
On Wednesday, Nov. 4 from 5:30-7:30pm, the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY will be hosting the Upstate New York Music College Fair. If you live in the upstate area and are in the market for a music degree, this is definitely the event to check out, with over 70 schools of music presenting. The Juilliard School and Ithaca College are co-hosting the event.
