Using repertoire as exercises

[carl-swanson]

I think that anyone, student or professional, will turn difficult passages of a

piece into a kind of technical study, breaking it down and practicing it in a

variety of ways in order to attain complete control over the notes.

[unknown-user]

My teacher, Lucile Lawrence, often liked to use repertoire for

technical development for various reasons, including that all playing

would be musical and not mechanical, to save time and increase the

student’s repertoire, to increase their preparation of more pieces. I

never saw her use etudes other than Salzedo’s because she felt their

musical standards were too low. If they had been as good as Chopin,

she would have used them. That said, the pieces I used under her for

this purpose included the Caplet Divertissement a la Francaise, the

Faure Impromptu, the Ravel Introduction and Allegro, the Mozart Flute

and Harp Concerto; Salzedo’s Mirage, Flight and others. What pieces

have you used for such development that were not etudes? While I also

advocate the use of exercises, it also helps if they are derived from

the repertoire you are learning, just as Busoni did in his Bach

editions for piano.

[unknown-user]

I’m studying that really tricky section of Renie’s “Contemplation” with Carl as a right hand excersise. Getting around the harp in a precise manner for that particular section of music is really very difficult, so that’s probably why he chose to isolate it. I’ve heard it once before, it’s such a great peice! I can’t wait until I’m technically far along enough to learn it. But as for now, getting an even tone from that big arpeggio section is my focus. Another one of my technical issues Carl has been working on is my constantly collapsing remote knuckles. I find it’s so much more comfortable playing with all the knuckles rounded. When I played with them collaped, at the end of a practice session I found that the ends of my fingers got sore near the last joint. Now that I play with knuckles rounded, that pain is gone, so… I guess that was the problem! Contemplation is a good excersise for that also. Not to mention the entire first movement of the first Naderman Sonatina drills that into the player’s head, which is also a great excersise-type-deal.

It’s amazing how much easier playing is, and how much more comfortable I am playing after studying the French method for only two months.

But, to keep in the spirit of repertoirical (I LOVE making up words…) etudes, I think Contemplation and the Naderman are great.

[unknown-user]

In my experience, both direct and observed, the technique learned and mastered from repertoire does translate to other repertoire. Supplemental exercises aid the process. I forgot to mention that orchestra parts were a big part of this process and provide many etude-like passages, along with chamber music and concerti. It was done on solo pieces alone.

I don’t know how you can call Bochsa etudes a complete survey of technique, except perhaps the limited technique of that time. It is clear that he neglects the left hand consistently instead of having it work equally to the right hand. He gives, in most etudes, the left hand standard accompanying figures that develop strength but not facility or melodic playing. It also doesn’t help the balance between hands. And I “grew up” on the Universal Method. Some of his Celebrated Etudes are lovely sounding pieces, but again, not balanced between hands. If you aspire to play nothing written later than 1885 or so, they’ll prepare you pretty well. They are also very pianistic in their approach to the harp, imitating Bach and Schubert and other masters. They may have been advanced in that time and frame of mind, pre-Parish Alvars, one might say, but they are certainly inadequate now, except for working up to a certain level and in a certain way.

I advanced very quickly on Miss Lawrence’s regimen, so it certainly was effective given my limited period for intense study. I advanced from the Debussy Arabesque and Pescetti Sonata to Hindemith, Caplet, Scintillation, CPE Bach Sonata, Introduction and Allegro, Mozart Concerto in three years.

Breaking down pieces for practice is not done by everyone to the full degree of one or two beats at a time, and not everyone will create exercises on them, beyond plain repetition. It can be very helpful to do so, as I have explained elsewhere, but creating good exercises requires some ability and knowledge not all may possess. Thankfully, people who have the ability publish them often enough.

The Chopin Etudes may be on a higher artistic scale than most harp etudes, but I have known many pianists who, nevertheless, studied them as etudes precisely to develop their technique. I know of no comparable etudes for harp but Salzedo’s (Five Poetical Studies). I recall etudes by Posse and Schuecker, but they are not that interesting, musically and still favor the right hand. They have charm but are not great music like Chopin. I like Damase’s Etudes, but it seems to me that technically they would mostly prepare one to play his music better.

I’m glad to hear of Steven’s progress, and rounding the fingers is just what I would do to cure collapsing knuckles. I think he’ll find his facility will increase in time as a result.

As others have pointed out in other discussions, it is important when practicing etudes to break them up so one does not overdo one type of motion by practicing it for too long. I further suggest using the left hand to play the right hand’s part an octave lower wherever possible for development.

[carl-swanson]

I agree with you on the issue of the Bochsa, and many other 19th century

etudes being focused primarily on the right hand.

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

There is a set of six etudes by Ibert which are good enough to perform as pieces. Those

Salzedo pieces you mentioned are also excellent for technique. The Handel Passacaille is

like a series of short etudes, as is The Harmonious Blacksmith.

[carl-swanson]

Elizabeth- I’m familiar with six pieces by Ibert, one of which is a delightful

Schertzetto.

[unknown-user]

I always forget about the Passacaglia, because I didn’t learn it young, I learned the Theme and Variations instead. Which edition did you learn, and did you play it with repeats?

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

My edition of the Handel Passacaille is by the delightfully-named Tiny B?on.(Anyone know

whether Tiny was 6 feet tall?) Also, the Ibert I am referring to is, in fact, Six Etudes, and

not the very lovely set of pieces which includes the Scherzetto.

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

As to repeats in the Handel Passacaille: It would make sense if you altered the repeat by

adding ornamentation, which is how Baroque opera arias in the A-B-A format are sung.

The repeat is there precisely for the soloist to show off their ornamentation and

improvisatory skills. Actually, I am trying to get away from using editions of Baroque

music more and more now. It’s best to go back to the original score, if one can find it.

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

Sorry! Aak! Brain cramp! I meant the Six Etudes by Eric Schmidt! They are published by

Leduc. As far as I know, there are no “Six Etudes” by Ibert.

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