Pieces of Me: Pianists

[ellyssian]

Why are pianists included in an animal piece?
Because, like peacocks, they often look better than they sound;
Because, like hermit crabs, they'd really rather play by themselves;
And because, like snakes, they depend on scales to get around.

Camille Saint-Saëns - Carnival of the Animals;
Pianists - alternate text and title by Peter Schickele

Allegedly - if patrixa is to be trusted - an early favorite piece of music of mine was Beethoven's Für Elise, which is, of course, played on piano. I've often enjoyed grand piano - attempting to play it, or listening to it, especially when it comes as a contrasting intro or interlude in a metal tune. I suppose I didn't really turn against pianos until I started listening to a lot of classical music and discovered that every time I expected to find a recording of a fire and brimstone piece for pipe organ or a cool and calculated bit on a harpsichord, the only versions I could find were transcriptions by yet another meddling pianist. The grand piano can't touch the sustain and power of an organ - breathless, it is, while the piano gasps asthmatically. On the other hand, a plucked harpsichord string is so precise and accurate, and, comparably - and ironically, given how it fared against the organ - you can't get the piano to shut up, or to do so with the same feeling. I came, eventually to detest pianos, to a degree.

I still like how Fates Warning used one in Ivory Gate of Dreams, the tag ending of Faith No More's Epic, and I'd still plunkety plunk some keys (coincidentally, most often playing the opening phrases of Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565, which is, of course, a piece for organ. Hypocritical, what me?)

But when the pianist appeared on WCRB (which is, my father observed sadly on one of the last times he was capable of conversation, soon to be no more, or considering to be no more, at least not in their Charles River Broadcasting/Classical Radio Boston dual-meaning of their initials,) I would jump over to WAAF or turn it off or, at least, complain loudly about the proliferation of pianists. Thus, there were very few piano recordings in my collection: some discount-line piano concertos (Tchaikovsky, Grieg, a few others); a quality recording of Stenhammar's piano concerto which came as a companion piece to Aulin's violin concerto, which I had deliberately hunted down; a piece of Spanish piano pieces played by Alicia de Larrocha (okay, I let some piano pieces get past me on CRB, heard one of the pieces on the disc and liked it;) and two arrangements of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, the original solo piano and a very recent piano concerto arrangement mixing bits of the original with bits of Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestration (I *still* need to find the recording of the piece played on pipe organ - nice to see the tables turned on them thar snotty pianists!). Pictures is a special case - it is our song, the soundtrack of our honeymoon (at least, until we went to Barnes & Noble and spent the remainder of our time there!)

Now, with a good portion of my father's classical cd collection integrated into mine, I know have a vastly increased number of piano concertos, trios, quartets, quintets, and - yes - even solo piano works.

I was listening to some Chopin on the ride home, and that's what got me thinking about all this. Took longer once I got everything set up here to recall exactly what subject it was I had wanted to set down here. Finally, thought about the disc I had been listening to, and Chopin brought it all back.

Funny thing is, all that background, while certainly qualifying as part of who and what I am, that's just part of what I wanted to tell here.

See, I used to do lawn care and landscaping (as it were) at the Tran's, across Common Street from us. Common Street is a main road, so it's not like the close-knit neighborhood that Sunset Road was. Indeed, the house down from the Tran's was a little old lady, who had lived there for quite some time, certainly long before we moved in to the neighborhood. I never really had contact with her - that I can recall - until I had to coordinate care of the 15' tall hedge that bordered her property and that of the Tran's. Once the Tran's moved out, she picked up my occasional employment to tame that damn hedge. Royal pain, but I never said no. Once Winter rolled around, I also found myself clearing out her driveway, stairs, and front walk.

So it was, one day, that I was clearing snow and I heard some incredibly beautiful piano music. I asked her, when we were settling the bill, what she had been listening to.

Turns out it was her playing. She had taught piano, played professionally, learned at the hands of great masters.

Arthritis slowed her down, she said, but I couldn't hear it that time.

Sadly, the arthritis did catch up to the point where she couldn't even play, and I wondered exactly what it would be like when that happened with my guitar playing, or - worse - I traveled down the route of Beethoven (albeit with slightly less compositional ability! =) and could no longer hear the music that I love.

I lose high-end hearing after being in a loud environment - which keeps me from attending concerts I would otherwise love to attend - and, of course, I've always worried that with all the ear infections I get, sooner or later, one of them will tamper with things a bit further. I figure it will happen, sooner or later.

Until then, however, I might have to look into a few of these pieces by this guy Chopin - as well as some of the ones by Debussy. If them thar pianists want to swipe harpsichord and organ repertoire, I'll go after *their* stuff. When I first met Deb, she played an arrangement of Debussy's Arabesque No. 1 on bass, and I transcribed it for guitar. Will have to track that down, and play it some more.

Comments

[jenjiyana.livejournal.com]

hmm...I always wished I was more in touch with classical music or that I had learned to play an instrument. Fur Elise was the first piece my sister played in concert as a child and I always think of her when I hear it. I wish she would have kept up her lessons and practice as she learned extraordinarily quick and was very good. I, of course, have not one musical playing bone in my body.

[malinaldarose.livejournal.com]

I wish my Dex was a little higher; I love the piano, but my fingers easily get tangled.

Have you ever listened to Suzanne Ciani (Cianni?). I quite like her stuff and use her Pianissimo to fall asleep to when I'm feeling wakeful (I have also been known to use "Sheherezade" and "Star Wars", so it's not that she's boring).

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

If you can find a decent classical station that's the best way to listen to a range of stuff, and maybe find things you like - of course, I haven't yet become convinced there's a decent station in this area, although there are a couple of half-decent ones, at least one of which you should be able to get down there: I just have no clue what it is because it uses a handful of repeater stations in NJ and PA and two in nearby Colorado.

If you let me know some things you do like, I can suggest composers, types of pieces, orchestras, conductors, and individual solo musicians.

Just from some of the other stuff you listen to, you probably won't go too far wrong if you look into pieces by Leos Janacek, Arvo Part, or Alan Hovahness.

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

I haven't heard her before, although the name seems familiar.

As for your DEX, what method did you use during character generation? =)

I'm fairly sloppy on the keyboard, but then, I've never really spent all that much time cleaning it up. Once in a while I give it an effort, but, must admit, my son Justin is much better.

[malinaldarose.livejournal.com]

I took lessons for ten years and practiced diligently, but could never get past a certain point, which is why I feel dexterity comes into as much as talent does. Or perhaps "talent" is partly "dexterity." I also played the flute and my fingers would often get tangled on that, too.

And yet I can type over 90 wpm.

[ellyssian.livejournal.com]

How many hours a day of practice?

I find that my technical abilities - on guitar, mind you - were only at their peak when I was playing 10 or more hours a day.

Other skills mature over the years, even if you're not playing anywhere near that much. Rhythmically, melodically, I'd say I'm a much better player now than I was when I was practicing nearly every waking hour (1986-1992, roughly,) although my technical skills are absolutely terrible now.

[patrixa.livejournal.com]

if you can TRUST patrixa? Like I could forget something like tjat? Hoo, boy,
am i gonna getcha? HAAHAAHaha! I thought you were turned off piano because you didn't want lessons or else had to suffer thru Dan's lessons.

But re the piano: Where did I go wrong teaching you? One GROOVES to piano music, moves to it, sighs or cries with it as it whispers soft romance and memories. A piano can boom and crescendo and then go pianissimo in an instant. A piano is FUN FUN FUN to play as well as hear and livens many a house party -- try that with an organ, harpsichord or clavier!

I regret that I never really learned to play one, but I learned enough to appreciate the work that goes into the art. And I wonder why you didn't care for it -- could it have been a sensitivity to the higher pitch as compared to other keyboard instruments?

[malinaldarose.livejournal.com]

I only practiced half an hour to an hour a day. I suppose if I had been truly serious about it -- and if my mother had a less practical turn of mind -- I would have spent longer at it, and perhaps have overcome my fumbly fingers.