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Studio recordings definitely have a lot to do with it. It is well known among pianists that Micheangeli was perhaps the first to be able to do recitals without memory problems, and it launched the craze for everyone to do the same. It has since spread. However, most great artists do make errors. I turned pages for a famous soprano’s pianist once, and I was intrigued to see how she either rewrote the line or reinvented it due to forgetfulness. The audience hadn’t a clue as it was all done with complete conviction and flow.
I think it helps very much to listen to our mistakes when practicing, to acknowledge and learn from them. It’s not hard to get the notes right, but then the brain immediately seems to say, what happens if I do it this way, or do it wrong this way? That is a chance to figure out how to recover, that’s why we do that. If we use that to our advantage, then we know how to go on from any mistake. The other technique that helps tremendously is to play each note thinking of the following note, not the one you are playing, always focus ahead. Then you know where you are going.
Studio recordings definitely have a lot to do with it. It is well known among pianists that Micheangeli was perhaps the first to be able to do recitals without memory problems, and it launched the craze for everyone to do the same. It has since spread. However, most great artists do make errors. I turned pages for a famous soprano’s pianist once, and I was intrigued to see how she either rewrote the line or reinvented it due to forgetfulness. The audience hadn’t a clue as it was all done with complete conviction and flow.
I think it helps very much to listen to our mistakes when practicing, to acknowledge and learn from them. It’s not hard to get the notes right, but then the brain immediately seems to say, what happens if I do it this way, or do it wrong this way? That is a chance to figure out how to recover, that’s why we do that. If we use that to our advantage, then we know how to go on from any mistake. The other technique that helps tremendously is to play each note thinking of the following note, not the one you are playing, always focus ahead. Then you know where you are going.
Studio recordings definitely have a lot to do with it. It is well known among pianists that Micheangeli was perhaps the first to be able to do recitals without memory problems, and it launched the craze for everyone to do the same. It has since spread. However, most great artists do make errors. I turned pages for a famous soprano’s pianist once, and I was intrigued to see how she either rewrote the line or reinvented it due to forgetfulness. The audience hadn’t a clue as it was all done with complete conviction and flow.
I think it helps very much to listen to our mistakes when practicing, to acknowledge and learn from them. It’s not hard to get the notes right, but then the brain immediately seems to say, what happens if I do it this way, or do it wrong this way? That is a chance to figure out how to recover, that’s why we do that. If we use that to our advantage, then we know how to go on from any mistake. The other technique that helps tremendously is to play each note thinking of the following note, not the one you are playing, always focus ahead. Then you know where you are going.
Just one last thing. Sherry, it was very brave and commendable of you to tell us that you have a Mental Health Counselor. You are, in fact, fortunate to have help, which not everyone does, and not everyone will admit to needing or wanting.
I think that naming a harp after Gilligan, the hapless sailor, is asking for trouble, perhaps? After all, they never got off the island because of his ineptitude….
To be specific, the difference I hear is in the brilliance of the overtones, most pronounced when the string is new. That makes the rest of the harp sing more actively, too. One possibility for playing in different lighting situations is to carry a footlight with you, or a clip-on light to illuminate the strings. I’ve only had a problem seeing strings when there was a color match to the background, like a copper-colored rug or wall, but there are lots of situations I haven’t played in. I found the tarnish-resistant strings to get quite dull after a year of use, so I don’t think you really save money with them.
Well, isn’t that a good question. I don’t think anyone can afford sterling-silver strings. If I play mine long enough, they wear down and change color, so I guess they must be silver-dipped copper.
It should be simple enough to turn down the amplification of the electric instruments. Unless you have an electric harp, I would just play normally. I would not let them put a microphone inside your harp. They can put a mic above it and in front and that will pick up some sound. I can’t stand for music to get louder, so I would say it should get softer, but not many people seem to think that way. Why don’t you show these posts to the conductor?
P.S., I have also spent quite a lot of time on the music of Rameau and Couperin, so if you would care for my views on French Baroque music on the harp, you may e-mail me.
Did you establish source material before you began writing? I would guess your thesis might be the first one on the subject. What degree is it for?
Here
I guess one can always lower one’s standard of what “perfect” is!
For me, it would be performing a piece without noticable mistakes, a complete flow of idea, without hiccups. I find it is now possible in some pieces in a concert, but the better one piece goes, or one moment, some unexpected wonderfulness, the harder it is to recover from it. It’s harder to recover from something unexpectedly beautiful than a note error. That should be of some comfort to students.
I guess one can always lower one’s standard of what “perfect” is!
For me, it would be performing a piece without noticable mistakes, a complete flow of idea, without hiccups. I find it is now possible in some pieces in a concert, but the better one piece goes, or one moment, some unexpected wonderfulness, the harder it is to recover from it. It’s harder to recover from something unexpectedly beautiful than a note error. That should be of some comfort to students.
I guess one can always lower one’s standard of what “perfect” is!
For me, it would be performing a piece without noticable mistakes, a complete flow of idea, without hiccups. I find it is now possible in some pieces in a concert, but the better one piece goes, or one moment, some unexpected wonderfulness, the harder it is to recover from it. It’s harder to recover from something unexpectedly beautiful than a note error. That should be of some comfort to students.
