Monday, April 30, 2007

Another Collaborative Piano definition

In previous postings, I've talked about what collaborative piano is and what it is not. A recent Google query brought me to another definition on the Collaborative Piano & Accompaniment Program page of the Australia String Academy website. From Charmian Gadd, honorary artistic director of the academy:

"One of the most rewarding careers a pianist can have is that of the collaborative artist, whether performing as chamber musician, repetiteur or coach/accompanist. There are fine lines separating these definitions, but nowadays the term ‘collaborative’ distinguishes the pianist who, like Geoffrey Parsons, prefers to make music in company."

“A fine collaborative pianist needs to be an excellent pianist first, of course, but a collaborative pianist requires specialist skills that solo training doesn’t often provide: sensitive listening and ensemble skills, a wide knowledge of the duo repertoire, good communication skills, and an ability to work well with a wide variety of ages and temperaments.
"


I like this line--"prefers to make music in company", which is really what is at the heart of the collaborative piano enterprise.

1 comment:

  1. That is indeed a great line. Also, there should be a picture of Geoffrey Parsons next to "collaborative pianist" in the dictionary. What a terrific musician he was!

    ReplyDelete